Our smallest, most colorful falcon, American kestrels typically perch high on utility wires or posts in open country. I bet you've seen them in your travels, along country roads, highways, and Interstates. Because some individuals habitually hunt rich territories day after day, if you're watchful--and lucky--you may come to know where to expect them.

Two of them, in fact, hunt along our regular route to town. In anticipation, I watch for them, somewhat like watching for a favorite neighbor in his yard or on her porch, waving as I pass. So when I don't see one or the other of the birds, I worry for its safety. Did it meet its demise, smashed by a truck, snagged by a hawk, sickened by pesticides? And then, when the bird later reappears, I smile in relief.

They're truly pretty little things. Wearing reddish-orange backs with black splotches, blue-gray wings, white faces with black markings, and blue-gray heads, kestrels surely win the award for best dressed raptor. It's more than glamorous attire, however. It's also clever attire. From underneath, the birds are mostly light colored, thus less visible against the sky. From above, however, the black pattern on the back of the head gives them the appearance of having a second set of eyes--glaring at anything considering a sneak attack.

Kestrels perch high on those utility wires to better scan a wide buffet, watching for little critters such as mice and voles. Like most birds, kestrels can see ultraviolet light, so they track mice and voles via the mammals' urine trails--which emit ultraviolet light.

Lacking a furry menu, in season, kestrels hunt the likes of grasshoppers, dragonflies, cicadas, and moths. While kestrels are mostly day hunters, sometimes sports fans spot a late-hunting falcon sallying from a high perch to nab moths fluttering around athletic-field lights.

Kestrels, however, boast a special skill no other falcon claims To better spot prey in thick vegetation, kestrels hover, watching for the perfect moment to strike. The behavior draws my attention, and sometimes I've seen them performing that aerial feat alongside highways or above the medians.

Then, wham! They dive, grab prey with their talons, return to their high perches, hold the catch firmly with one foot, balance with the other, and tear into lunch.

But poor guys, it's not always easy being small. About the size of a mourning dove, kestrels face tough competition from crows and large raptors like Cooper's and red-tailed hawks and barred owls. The big guys won't hesitate to try for a kestrel lunch.

In spite of their agility and aggression, however, since 1966 kestrels have declined by 50 percent.

Chalk up the decline in part to "clean" farming practices, the removal of hedgerows, dead trees, and brush. Since kestrels nest in tree cavities but are unable to excavate their own, they rely on natural tree cavities or old woodpecker holes. But they're also adaptable and will readily accept man-made nest boxes.

Consider helping. Plans online detail nest boxes with three-inch entrance holes that sit 10 inches above the floor. Locate boxes in open fields or meadows or along fencerows, 10 to 100 feet high. Add a predator guard. Check for more details online at NestWatch.org and select "About Birdhouses." Or purchase one that meets specifications.

Contact Sharon Sorenson on her website at birdsintheyard.com, follow local day-to-day bird activity on Facebook at SharonSorensonBirdLady, or email her at chshsoren@gmail.com.